Great Gaming Resources

Sometimes it’s difficult to find the right piece of content. There are plenty of websites out there, but the good old saying ‘quality over quantity’ still applies.

But don’t worry! Here at Game Crusaders, we love to help you out! That’s why we present you with our Great Gaming Resources (GGR). GGR is a comprehensive list of the best blogs, video channels, game review sites and gaming communities out there that we’ve come across.

Those who share our passion for video games and create amazing content deserve a mention.

Gaming articles & opinion pieces

We can only write so much ourselves. Besides, we wouldn’t want you to miss out on all of the great written content that is available. For more interesting articles and opinions about games and gaming, check out the sites below.

Code of honor – a blog by Patrick Wyatt who was the developer behind the original Warcraft: Orcs & Humans game. He’s got well-written articles about the early days at Blizzard Entertainment which give great insight into one of the most influential gaming companies around.

Lost Humanity series – A series of columns about conspiracies and nonsensical paradoxes in the video game industry written by Rob Florence, a man who loves Dark Souls.

Gaming videos

But maybe you don’t feel like reading. That’s something we definitely can get on board with. These channels and video websites range from Let’s Play series to video reviews, from insights into the industry to opinion pieces.

Sit back, relax, and enjoy the show.

Jimquisition – Current affairs and other actualities are discussed in Jim Sterling’s weekly videos. He has a strong opinion which isn’t always popular, but we can use a critical eye like his in the gaming industry. Update: It seems that Jim Sterling is now only publishing new material on his Youtube channel.

Total Biscuit – This “Cynical Brit” is well known for his WTF is series in which he has a first look at the game in question, including game settings, different game modes and gameplay mechanics. He makes the occasional serious video in which he isn’t shy to divert away from video games. Also, did I mention he has a great voice?

Robbaz – Let’s Play videos with a lot of humour – often dark, but funny nonetheless. Robbaz plays a variety of games, often featuring titles you might have not heard of before. Go check out his channel and become a viking today!

Boogie2988 – Francis calls himself an entertainer and, with over 1000 videos, he is an active YouTuber with a big following (2+ million subscribers). His videos are funny, but also often make good points. He does not shy away from tackling more serious subjects as well.

Team Coco – Conan O’Brien does a fun Clueless Gamer series in which the talk show host plays and reviews some popular games. It’s a lot like watching your dad pick up the controller, but without the dad jokes that go along with that experience.

Extra Credits – In this insightful video series the Extra Credits team explains the underlying mechanics and systems that make our video games either a great hit or a complete miss. Videos on gamification, perfect imbalance, the skinner box, the uncanny valley, and more.

Honest game reviews

We say honest, but what we probably should say is ‘trustworthy’. These are the sources we check if we want to make a decision on whether or not we will take advantage of that Steam flash sale item. Our advice would be to read/watch multiple reviews and not just stick with one.

Zero Punctuation – Game reviews without a single shot of actual game footage. Ben “Yahtzee” Croshaw delivers a fun, yet very honest video game review every Wednesday. These 5 minute videos are a great source of entertainment, but also serve well when deciding what to spend your money on. He’s got a very unique approach to reviewing which we’re thrilled with.

Gaming blogs

These gems are sometimes hard to find. Often born out of a pure passion for video games, these creative people dedicate their time to sharing their opinions and stories about their favourite games.

The Gay Gamer – Bryan frequently writes posts about video games and video game related paraphernalia. A lot of lesser known Japanese games and hardware get the chance to shine on his blog. His love and passion for the gaming industry is evident in his posts and his unique coverage of things like this fat Chocobo plush toy make his blog a joy to read through.

Mini Fortress[offline?] – This rather complete gaming website is run by Robert who has a clear love for Nintendo and retro gaming. Mini Fortress goes beyond the traditional blog with much more content such as videos, reviews, top 10 lists and features on the Nintendo eShop. If you love Nintendo or retro gaming, be sure to visit the Mini Fortress! [Update May 2018: unfortunately the site is currently unavailable.]

Find Your Inner Geek – On this complete website you can find entries on gaming, movies, comics, sports and even fan art. It’s a big selection which will help you find your inner geek. The team that provides you with all this content, exists out 6 devoted members who love to help you find that geek deep inside of you.

Gaming hardware resources

Great games deserve a great system to run them on. Whether you are looking for an upgrade to your gaming rig or for a new headset, these gaming hardware resources should come in handy.

Linus Tech Tips – This friendly geek has a fun way of unboxing, reviewing, and advising you on your next hardware purchase. From gaming mice to desk chairs, desktop cases to mechanical keyboards, Linus covers it all. Get your nerd on and have some fun researching your next graphics card purchase.

PCPartPicker– Are you looking to build your own gaming rig? This handy tool lets you build it from scratch which might sound difficult, but is actually pretty easy to do. The added bonus is that you can easily find out where to buy your parts from so that it doesn’t have to cost you an arm and a leg (which is especially great since you need those for gaming!).

Gaming comics

Who doesn’t enjoy a good comic that puts a smile on their face? We loved comics as kids, so why can’t we love them as adults as well?

Dorkly – Probably one of the better-known comics around the web. Often making a critical note on recent gaming events, we’ve seen them shared all over the place, and for good reason! If you have never heard of Dorkly, you have some homework to do!

Gaming communities

Sure, your favourite game is a thrill to play, but wouldn’t it be even better if you could share your thoughts and opinions on it with like-minded people? These gaming communities welcome everybody to join in the conversation (at a mature level), ensuring that we can all enjoy our favourite pastime together.

We personally have experience with these forums and can honestly recommend them to you.

FextraLife Forums – In their slogan they call themselves the gamer lifestyle blog, though the forum is where it really gets interesting. Originally focused on Dark Souls (offering a great Wiki with valuable info on this hardcore game), it’s now also branched out to cover many other games. Definitely worth a visit.

Eyes on Final Fantasy Forums – The forum is mostly focused on the Japanese RPG series, Final Fantasy. However, with the addition of a general gaming section, creativity corner, and even a food section, you can definitely go beyond the legendary RPG that is loved by so many. Friendly people frequent this forum, including one of our very own, Piet Crusader, who started a great top 25 video games thread that we recommend you go see for yourself.

Next Car Game Forum – This new racing game is being developed by Bugbear Entertainment which is known for their FlatOut series. If you want to find out more about their newest release, Erik wrote an extensive piece on it. The community is mostly focused on the Bugbear games, though there is plenty of room to discuss other racing titles as well. More friendly people that love fine racing games.

GTPlanet– Sweet mother of racing games! Dating all the way back to the original Playstation, this forum is filled with Gran Turismo lovers. Well, not just fans of the Gran Turismo series, but great racing games in general. If you love racing games and wish to discuss them, go ahead and share your setups, ideas, and strategies to beat that license or score the best hot lap.

Gaming Subreddits

Oh, Reddit, where circlejerking, TL;DR, and other magical “words” are thrown around. The bigger subreddits might not be as friendly, but there are plenty of subreddits out there that form a friendly community of people who love to share their passion for video games. Here are some of our personal favourites.

gaming4gamers – On this 25k subscriber subreddit, the community seeks a friendly, open minded discussion platform. In their own words: “By creating a middle ground between the purely-for-fun subreddits and the more serious ones, we aim to build a community based on open-minded discussions, comradery above competition, and a shared love of video games.”

pcmasterrace– It all started as a joke about how PC gamers tend to think better of themselves, but it transformed into a rather serious subreddit with some humorous elements still lingering. If you love PC gaming or simply want to find out more about building your own gaming rig, this is a great subreddit. But if you love your console and believe it’s still better than a PC, this probably isn’t the place for you.

Retro gaming websites

Feeling nostalgic? You are definitely not alone. Many gamers love the good ol’ days when it comes to video games. Let’s dive back in time and enjoy gaming like we used to.

Smuggsy – On this retro oriented blog, Robb dives deeper into retro games, the hardware they run on and anything in between. His about me page features a wide list of his interest which range from Formula one to metal detecting. The entries on Smuggsy often feature photos from original hardware, cartridges or any other geeky stuff we love to see.

Commodore is Awesome – The name says it all. This frequently updated retro gaming blog features the hardware you need, the boxart you fell in love with as a kid, information on emulators, and about everything else you might need to enjoy the Commodore today. CiA is a real gem for all Commodore fans out there.

Gaming personalities on Twitter

A hundred and forty characters might not seem like much, but there are plenty of people who know how to Tweet. Here’s an overview of gaming personalities, sites, and other accounts that deserve a follow.

Total Biscuit – The cynical Brit doesn’t only make great videos, he also rants and shares his opinions on Twitter. Definitely worth following.

Ellohime– This bearded streamer is a fun guy to play with, as Erik Crusader experienced himself while playing a game of Dota and running into this friendly streamer. Ellohime has a great sense of humour and interacts well with his audience.

Did we miss something?

We know that this list isn’t exhaustive by any means, but our intention is to make it as complete as possible by continuing to gather the best gaming resources available.

Please let us know of any great gaming resources that you’ve come across that we might have missed. Leave a comment below and we’ll have a look to see if they make the cut!

5 thoughts on “Great Gaming Resources”

Hello! This is a great list of resources. Nice to see the inclusion of Twitter personalities too. I often get so confused on who’s worth following so this was good. Gaming4gamers is also probably my most favourite Reddit thread for games. Great mention!

Might I also recommend GamesLikeZone.com for inclusion? I came across them Googling for ‘games like Doom’. I love how they do research on games by specific interests. I was searching for retro shooters with crazy OTT action and – boom! These guys gave me the answers I needed. Love the fact that they do their research.

Also another solid inclusion would be Kotaku.com. They are really popular of course but have an alternative tone to other mainstream sites. I also use n4g.com for repository news!

Keep updating this amazing blog of yours! Been reading it for quite a while now!